In many parts of the world concrete is exposed to water penetration from natural or other sources. The problems associated with the excessive presence of water in concrete are well known and include degradation of the concrete due to freeze-thaw cycles, efflorescence, delamination and cracking. To avoid or reduce problems associated with the presence of water, sealers can be applied to the concrete. All or almost all of the commercially available sealers are film forming and based on one or more polymers in water or other solvents, or are non-film forming and are based on silanes or silicates.
While film forming sealers are generally easy to apply and have a chemistry that is compatible with concrete, film forming sealers often present the disadvantages of not allowing concrete to breathe, and of trapping the moisture that can be transferred from the soil. On the other hand, non-film forming silane based sealers allow for at least some breathability of the concrete, but mostly produce a surface that is water repellant but not water proof.
Among known previous efforts directed to concrete coatings is the composition described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,705,072 to Carcelli. Unfortunately, Carcelli's sealer is drawn to mechanical properties of the sealer, and especially to a flexibility of the sealer that is greater than that of the concrete, and fails to contemplate or provide compositions having various other desirable properties and functionalities.
The '072 patent and all other publications identified herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
Therefore, even though some methods and compositions are known that help to protect concrete, all or almost all of them suffer from one or more disadvantageous. Thus, there is a need for an effective concrete sealer that provides both, concrete breathability and a good moisture barrier.